Just over a week away from a B7800, now a snag...

[Taiser]

Hi Gents;

You guys all know that I had pretty much narrowed my choice down to B7800 up from a BX24 in the landscaping thread I started, well a new development just happened and now I need more advice. I was just over a week away from dropping my check over at the Kubota dealer, when out of the blue this came up.

A buddy of mine knows a guy at a Deere dealership a few hundred miles out of town, however I know very little about Deere's. The guy I spoke to was extremelly knowledgeable and very helpful. I've always been scared of Deere prices but he gave me one that impressed the **** out of me, in fact it's only about a thousand more than the B7800 Kubota. Delivery is no problem either he will do it just for gas money!!!

I asked him to price me out a machine that would be close to the B2630 in features and he advised me that the Deere 2520 is the closest, with a 200cx loader and a 46 backhoe. I'm looking for info on comparing this to the B7800 also with the loader and backhoe. The B has more horses but I think that's about it. Does the Deere have positional control on the 3PH (specs don't say)?

Unfortunately I'm having trouble with detailed specs for the machine, so I'm looking for some input on comparisons good or bad. Please no brand bashing or overly enthusiastic fan boys, I know both of these brands make awesome machines.

I'm hoping for an oranges to oranges comparison, maybe input from guys that actually have these models. I'm leaning green now because the Kubota dealer here scares me. We have a local deere dealer but he does only industrial machine sales now, but he does do maintenance on all deere products. I'm just wondering if these machines are pretty much even for similar tasks.

Thanks

 

[Timber]

the only thing that scared me about the Deer is it is not that friendly with attachments the were not Deer. From what I understand once in the Dear world you have to buy Dear attachments. You may find you buddy's chipper wont work on your Deer, or a great deal on a brush hog is no good because it is not compatible. Your only going to find the 4 cylinder in the B7800 or bigger. A deer is a great tractor though. Did you actually see it and sit in it that will help to decide. I do love my B7800 and can not say enough good thing about it. I have nothing bad to say about a deer as I have never owned one but as I was shopping that is what turned me from the Deer.

 

[Volfandt]

Best way to tell is to put your seat in the seat.
Like Kubota, JD is a great brand too.
The 2520 has some ergonomic diff's from the B7800, 2 main diff' are separate fwd & rev HST pedals and the separate brake pedals are on the left side.

The JD is plastic and the B7800 is metal, for whatever that means.

I have heard that the front ground contact wheels on the MMM's on the "twenty" series tend to gouge the ground in tight turns but I think theres a kit to fix it.

You can't go wrong with either, go with the one that "fits" you best.

 

[Toolguy]

I don't own a JD2520 but I did some research on them. When I was tractor shopping in 2005 I looked at Deere and Kubota. I looked at the B7800, The B2630 and the B3030. I also looked at the Deere 3120 and the 2230. The 2520 was not available then. I ended up with a B3030 because for me it was the perfect size. It had the features I wanted and I liked the looks and the fact that it was the latest model. Important stuff to me. The JD3120 was a nice tractor and less than $2000 more but, it was just too big and heavy for me as mowing is my primary use along with occasional loader work and snow removal. The JD2230 was not big enough for what I wanted to do. When the JD2520s came along in 2006 I was very curious to see how it speced out compared to my purchase. After checking all the specs and actually looking at one in person I felt that I had the made a good choice. The 2520 compares to a B2630 in horsepower and weight but in any other spec the 2630 outshines it. The Bxx30 tractors have higher ground clearance, better hydraulics, bigger tires, telescoping 3PTH arms and swaybars. The Bs will handle any full size 3PTH implements because of the higher 3PTH lift height and weight capacity. The loader also specs out better with more lift height, reach and weight capacity. For MMM mower work the Bs have a better lift system. The Kubota MMM is also better IMHO.

I still think the JD2520 is a fine tractor. For someone moving up from a smaller JD that doesn't need what the 3x20 series offers it would be a good move.

On the other hand, the JD2520 is not as much tractor as the Bxx30s in the same way the Bs are not in the same class as the JD3x20 series.

If I was torn between a B7800 and a JD2520 I would seriously consider a B2630. Unless you need the extra HP of the B7800 for PTO work, the B2630 has better features than either of the other two.

I know it can be a tough decision. Price, dealer, service and intended uses all factor in. Good luck.

 

[aesanders]

the only thing that scared me about the Deer is it is not that friendly with attachments the were not Deer. From what I understand once in the Dear world you have to buy Dear attachments. You may find you buddy's chipper wont work on your Deer, or a great deal on a brush hog is no good because it is not compatible.

This is not true at all. This is only true if you are talking about John Deere's quick hitch system I match. These third party implements may not hook up to the quick hitch system if you have it. However, you can remove the quick hitch I match in thirty seconds and then hook up any implement you want.
I have the quick hitch to the baby brother of the 2520 the 2320. It is really nice. I can hook up to my box blade and landsape rake without ever leaving the seat. My post hole digger is a bush hog brand. I do have to remove the quick hitch and the upper link for this implement, but that is really simple. Just pull a couple pins and off they come.

To the OP: I think the 2520 would be a nice tractor for you. I like both Kubota and John Deere. I'd recomend looking at one and comparing first hand prior to buying thoough. When I bought my 2320 I compared it primarily to the b7610. They are really similar in size and capability but the Deere had some added features like the position control that I really liked.

 

[aesanders]

Does the Deere have positional control on the 3PH (specs don't say)?

Thanks

Yes the 2520 has position control on the 3ph.

This is a very close machine to the Kubota 2630. Each machine has some advantages over the other. I would suggest looking at both prior to buying. I have not heard about the front deck rollers gouging but I do not finish mow with my tractor (2320 and 2520 will use the same deck). The mowing deck for the 2520 is a drive over deck that is very easy to install.

Here is a link to some photo's of my 2320, which is tad bit smaller than the 2520 but quite similar in a lot of ways.
Flickr: Photos from aesanders71

 

[Double 00 Soul]

You've received a lot of good advice from some of the others here. I looked at the JD2520 when I was shopping for a tractor. I bought a Kubota B3030. As I believe you realize when you said the local Kubota dealer scares you, the dealer can make a world of difference in how satisfied you are overall. That was one reason I went with Kubota, the local JD dealer did not impress me, I realize now that I made the best decision, my dealer is there for me when I need him, always has time to answer my stupid questions and offer solutions. Are you going to be able to have this relationship with the JD dealer who is going to deliver your tractor? It appears that you'd be "living" with the JD dealer that only handles commercial items now. How comfortable are you with him? I can only echo what one of the others said about getting some seat time on a 2520 or whatever you decide you want to buy. Buying a tractor without trying it on for size is the epitome of the old "pig in a poke." It's too big an investment not to be completely familiar and satisfied with whatever tractor you spend your hard earned money on. Even if you're well off financially, why leave yourself open for that kind of disappointment and have to go through it all again?

Good luck and let us know how you decide to go.

 

[Taiser]

Thanks guys;

Again I'm comparing this thing to the B7800 because it's on sale here right now, I know for a fact that the B2630 will be several thousand more than the deere at this dealer here in town (captive market) so basically the amount of money approved by my CFO (wife) will only allow me to get the 7800, then this **** deere showed up so now I'm really thinking about going green, especially now with all the complaints I've been hearing about the QI valves on the 7800. I'm not planning on running any bushhogs and such, only maybe a tiller later on for about a half acre or so garden so I don't think I'll miss the PTO power. The hydraulic pump output looks pretty impressive on the deere too!!! Geezzz....

 

[Toolguy]

Personally, I would not factor the dealer in on my decision. Once you buy the machine, the dealer is pretty much a non issue. These types of machines are very reliable. Your chances of needing a dealer's help after the sale are slim to none. Any dealer will be glad to sell you parts. If, by some remote chance you need warranty work, you may or may not have to take it back where you bought it. Otherwise, if you need advise or have questions, TBN is probably the best resource available. If you are operating a commercial operation where you need to rely on a dealer for parts and service to keep your fleet running so you can keep the cash flowing, then the dealer is important. On the other hand if you are a homeowner that uses a tractor to maintain your property, the worst thing that can happen is that the lawn doesn't get mowed for a few days while the dealer fixes your problem. For a lifetime of tractor ownership that might happen once or twice. Bottom line is, expand your search area to find the best deal on the tractor YOU want. You will have very little need for a dealer after that. Good luck, again.

 

[Volfandt]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...creating-divots-front.html?highlight=volfandt

Again, it probably all boils down to which seat your seat likes best

Volfandt